If Happy Ever After Did Exist
by Sophie6
Summary: "I'm sorry, sweetie," Damon cooed over the baby girl, "but it seems you are surrounded by a bunch of very incompetent people." Steroline romance, Daroline friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Going back to my OTP for this story, something funny and light. Please review if you like it ;o)**

* * *

"This is a complete disaster!"

Caroline put her cellphone on the kitchen island and started pacing across the room.

"What is?" asked Stefan distractedly, as he was busy putting a finishing touch to an elaborate plate of delicatessen and vegetables. Caroline's neurotic outbursts didn't really worry him anymore, at least until he could see by himself that there was indeed a disaster involved, and that she wasn't just being a control freak on crack (her words, not his.)

"That was Mrs Rodenberry," she said, pointing an accusing finger to her cellphone. "She thought I might want to know that there would be an extra 15 people to her party. 15 ! Who adds 15 people to their party 3 hours before it starts?"

"Mrs Rodenberry does, apparently. So that's it? That's the disaster?"

Caroline huffed. "Well, do you have another word for it?"

Stefan smiled. "What about 'no problem'?" He opened the fridge and took out some more delicatessen and vegetables. "I have enough to make at least two others like that one. I know what our customers are like, Care, I learned to anticipate."

She smiled at him. "You're awesome."

He grinned. "Tell me something I don't know."

"You sound like your brother. When is he coming back anyway?" She put on an apron and started helping Stefan unpack the food and clean the vegetables.

"Isn't it supposed to be today, or tomorrow? I kind of lost track, to be honest."

"Well we certainly could have use his help. Stupid woman," Caroline mumbled, cutting a red peppers if it was Mrs Rodenberry's head.

"Don't know about that. Last time he helped us he told you he expected to be paid if we needed him again."

Caroline shook her head, smiling. "Aah, dear Damon. I miss him. I wish he would stay with us more."

"You know why he does it," Stefan said, referring to his brother's constant traveling.

Caroline'smile faded. "Yes, I know. But it's been three years. I though he would be better by now."

"He is better. But Damon has never been the stay-at-home type. As long as he shows up here every once in a while as a proof that he's still alive, it's fine by me," Stefan replied, too casually to be entirely honest. Caroline knew he also wished for his brother to stay in Mystic Falls and have some time to reconnect.

Three years ago Elena had decided against transitioning and she had died peacefully the next day, surrounded by Jeremy and her friends.

Her death had changed a lot of things. Jeremy had left and go back to their family in Denver. There had been a lot of drama following the Klaus-in-Tyler body, but that had been quickly resolved as Bonnie undid her spell. Unfortunately, that had been the death knell of Caroline and Tyler's relationship.

Klaus had left town shortly after, dragging a daggered and coffin-bound Rebekah with him.

It's not like anybody were going to miss them.

At the end of the Senior year, almost everyone left Mystic Falls to go to college in different states.

But Caroline stayed. For Stefan and Damon. To say that they had taken Elena's death the hard way was a vast understatement.

There had been grief, anger, blame, guilt and even a nasty fight or two. That's when Caroline had decided to intervene and put a stop to all those negative feelings. She had been the first surprised when it had actually worked. It had taken some time of course, and both of them had cope their own way. Damon had been taking off across the globe as often as possible, and Stefan had started a catering business with her. It had been her idea actually, and she wasn't afraid to say it had been a brilliant one. Surprisingly, considering all the events and parties going on endlessly in Mystic Falls, there was only one caterer and he was about to retire. Caroline had taken the company over, and between her great sense of planning and Stefan's culinary skills, they hadn't stopped working since.

She had gotten extremely close to the two Salvatores, and when Damon had started to travel, her college plans didn't sound like so much fun anymore. She hadn't wanted to leave Stefan alone and moping in Mystic Falls. Because she knew him, and there would be lots and lots of moping, which would lead to very bad ideas like taking his ring off and meet the sun. Over the next few months they had supported each other and rekindled their friendship, even more deeply than before.

And ok, let's be honest here. She had developed a giant crush on him. _Again._

Not that she was going to do anything about it.

Her friendship with him was too important to risk it, and after all he hadn't sent her any signals indicating that he felt the same way. Besides, she didn't want to be rebound girl, even though it was obvious that Stefan had moved on since the last few months. He also didn't seem in a hurry to dive into a new relationship.

Not that Mystic Falls was a dating paradise anyway.

But he wasn't back to his broody self, and there was actually a tranquility and new found serenity about him that perfectly completed her cheery and bouncy self, and she found that quiet strength undeniably attractive. She had also discovered a dry sense of humor in him that she had had only a few glimpses of before.

All of this made it very hard to keep her feelings to herself, but she had managed it so far. If she was ever ready to come out of the Friend Zone...she would call MTV.

When they got back at the Boarding House it was early evening, and there was some food left so they had a quick dinner in the kitchen, talking and laughing about some of the guests at Mrs Rodenberry's party.

Caroline had been living at the house for more than a year now, mostly out of convenience as it was their catering business home office. Besides, Liz had met someone a few months ago and was now living with him in Richmond. She had sold the house and gave a good part of it to help Caroline's business. The two women stayed closed and called each other frequently.

Stefan and Caroline had just finished eating and were cleaning the kitchen when they heard the doorbell. They looked at each other, surprised. Stefan shrugged.

"Maybe Damon forgot his keys."

He left to open the door, and a few seconds later Caroline heard him call her.

"Uh, Care? Can you come here?"

Intrigued, she joined him. "What?"

She followed his gaze, to discover a maxi-cosi on the floor, with a baby in it.

A_ real_ baby.

"What the...?"

She looked at Stefan who raised his hands. "Don't look at me. I have no clue. And I'm pretty sure it's not mine."

She stepped out on the front porch looking around, but nobody was there, obviously.

She turned to Stefan, who had kneeled down in front of the baby, a little girl judging by her little yellow dress and matching knitwear.

"Is this a prank?"

Despite the situation, Stefan smiled. "Yes, I'm sure Carol Lockwood is the evil genius behind this."

She glared at him. "Not funny, Stefan. There's a freaking baby on our front door!"

She crouched down near him and looked at the sleeping baby, calming instantly. "She's so cute," she sighed with a tender look.

"Let's get her inside," Stefan suggested and delicately lifted the crib. Caroline closed the door behind them and they brought her in the living room near the fireplace.

The blonde vampire shook her head. "Why would someone leave a baby here? Why not the hospital, or a church?"

"Beats me," Stefan muttered, looking at the baby with a pensive face.

"What should we do with her?"

Stefan sighed, putting his hand on his waist. "No idea. Bring her to the police, or the hospital."

"Ok, but it's late, and she sleeps so peacefully, so maybe we should..."

She was interrupted by the slamming of the front door, and Damon appeared, all smiles, throwing his travel bag on a nearby chair.

"Hey guys! I'm back. I hope you behaved while..."

He stopped abruptly, taking in the scene in front of him.

"Geez! How long was I gone?"

* * *

**TBC...;o)**

**A/N : My dear friend and fellow writer Honeeym wrote a terrific Stebekah story called 'Forever and A Day' and you should all go read it NOW ;o)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews/alerts/favorites ;o) Enjoy !**

* * *

Caroline sent him a funny look. "Don't be a smartass. We just found her on the porch like ten minutes ago."

Damon looked at the baby. "She's cute. So, did you guys miss me?"

"No," Stefan and Caroline responded in unison and Damon smiled.

"I knew it. It's good to be home. So, any info on our little impromptu visitor?"

Caroline checked the crib delicately but found nothing.

"Considering the quality of her clothes, I don't think her being left here has anything to do with lack of money," Stefan mused. "Kidnapping, maybe?"

Caroline sighed. "Ok, so let's keep her tonight, and we'll got to the police first thing in the morning."

Damon nodded. "Good idea. Anyone with some baby expertise around here?"

They all look at each other, a bit dumbfounded.

"Not really," Caroline admitted. "What about you? Didn't you take care of Stefan when he was a baby?"

Damon scoffed. "I was 5 years old, and that was 150 years ago. I was barely allowed to go near him."

Stefan turned to Caroline. "You're a girl. Aren't you supposed to now these things naturally?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, because that's not a cliché at all."

Damon leaned over the maxi-cosi. "Well, I'm sorry sweetie," he cooed at the little girl," but it looks like you are surrounded by a bunch of very incompetent people."

As if on cue, the baby opened her eyes and started to cry.

* * *

Despite them being totally clueless, they figured out rather quickly that the little girl was hungry. Fortunately, they had milk, and even a few baby bottles as Caroline always took some with her just in case they were catering big family events.

Caroline fed her before going upstairs to take a bath with the baby girl. Damon brought Stefan a glass of scotch and poured one for himself.

"So, besides babies on doorsteps, anything going on in dear old Mystic Falls?" he asked his brother.

Stefan smiled. "You know, it's Mystic Falls. It used to be death and mayhem, now it's just nice and boring."

"Don't you miss it?"

Stefan pretended to think. "Let'see...Do I miss the constant threats on our heads, or having friends die on a regular basis...that would be a no."

Damon smiled. "Must help to live with a hot blonde."

Stefan gave him a look. "It's not like that and you know it. Caroline is my best friend, and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here today."

Damon sobered, feeling a slight pang of guilt. He should have been there too.

"I don't blame you," Stefan added softly, reading his brother's mind. "You had to grieve your own way, I understand."

Damon raised his glass to his brother before taking a much needed gulp.

"When is your next trip? I don't even know where you went this time."

"I was in California, made a few friends, spent some time with Judgy – which reminds me that I have to tell Care she said hi. Anyway, no other plans right now. I might stay a while, pester Blondie."

"She'll love that – you staying, not the pestering, although I'm sure she'll pester you back with great pleasure."

Damon grinned, happy to be back home. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't in a hurry to leave again.

Caroline came back, dressed in her pj's, holding the little girl who was wearing one of her t-shirt. Fortunately she had found two extra diapers in the maxi-cosi. Fed and cleaned, the baby looked in a excellent mood. She wiggled her arms towards Damon with a big smile on her face.

Caroline laughed. "Wow, they really can't resist you, no matter how old they are."

Damon got up and pressed a kiss on the baby's head. "I'm too old for you, sweetheart, but come back in 18 years and I'll teach you a thing or two."

The baby nodded vigorously and clapped her hands, which made everyone laugh. Caroline rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Talking about sleeping arrangements...where shall we put her? We can't leave her in that maxi-cosi all night."

Stefan raised from the couch. "She should sleep between the two of us, in my bed or yours, I don't care. What do you think?" he asked Caroline.

She looked at him, trying very hard to not blush and keep her cool. What did she think?

She thought it was _awesome _! Even with a baby in between, that would be more action that she had in months. Which was really sad, if you asked her.

She nodded, keeping her face neutral. "Yes, it's the safest option I guess. Let's use your bed."

When Stefan joined her an hour later in his bed, the baby was asleep. He looked at her with a pensive smile.

"How can someone just drop a baby on some stranger's front door?"

Caroline settled on her side, looking at him in the dark. "Not to mention how dangerous it is. I mean, what if we were vampires or something?"

He stifled a laugh and she smiled, putting her fingers on her mouth in a hush sign.

A silence. Then Stefan said, "Thank you Caroline."

"You're very welcome. What for?"

He shrugged. "For being here. For being you."

A wide smile spread on her lips and her heart swelled at his words. He might not feel the same way, but he sure knew how to make her feel appreciated.

"It's my pleasure," she whispered softly, and she felt his hand take hers.

They fell asleep with their fingers intertwined.

* * *

They had been waiting for an hour and Caroline was getting a bit impatient. The baby had been quiet so far but she was starting to be a bit fussy.

"This was better organized when my mom was here," Caroline muttered.

"The cop I talked to told me there's been a few cases of robbery and vandalism lately, and that they had a lot going on right now."

"Yes but come on, this is Mystic Falls. And, we have an abandoned baby. Doesn't that top the robberies?"

Right at that moment a young woman called them. She looked rather tired but smiled at them.

"What can I do for you?"

Stefan put the maxi-cosi on the counter. "This charming lady was dropped on our doorstep last night."

"Oh! Ok. And you know...I mean, you're sure she doesn't, uh...belong to you?"

"Positive," Stefan answered with a friendly yet firm smile, and the young cop decided it was best not to insist on that subject.

"Ok. Well, I must admit that's a first, and I don't know what's the procedure."

"Don't we have a social service office or something here?" Caroline asked.

The young woman – the name on her tag read Nancy – shook her head.

"I haven't been here for long. Do you mind waiting a few minutes while I go ask my superior?"

Stefan and Caroline nodded. It was a good thing they had the day off today.

Nancy came back a few minutes later.

"They are very busy for the moment. To be honest with you, two of our colleagues are sick and we are kind of understaffed. If you want you can leave the baby with me and we'll take care of her as soon as we have a few minutes."

Caroline looked indignant and Stefan replied politely, "I'm sorry but we are not leaving her there without some kind of resolution," which got him an approving look from his blonde companion.

"I understand that, unfortunately I have no other solution right now. Unless...You could fill a complain and keep her with you a bit longer? We'll call you as soon as we have some time to investigate. I'm sure it's only a matter of a few days."

Stefan and Caroline looked at each other. Taking care of a baby full time was not exactly in their immediate plans, and yet...

"Ok," they both said in unison. "We'll come back in 3 days, unless you call us before."

Nancy looked relieved that things got momentarily resolved without any drama and handed a document to Stefan to fill. He described the situation and what the baby looked like and the clothes she was wearing.

They walked out of the police station and went back to the car parked on the square.

"Looks like you're stuck with us, Sweetie," Caroline said softly to the little girl and kissed her forehead. The baby smiled back. Even if it was not exactly planned, she was happy to keep her just a while longer.

Stefan attached the maxi-cosi in the car. "I cant believe there's not even a child welfare service or something in this town."

"If that's too much trouble, we can still try the hospital," Caroline offered, realizing that if she enjoyed spending some more time with the baby, it might not be the brothers' case. It was their house after all.

But Stefan looked at her as if she had grown two heads. "What? That's out of the question. I'm not leaving her with people who don't seem to know what to do. We'll do our own researches."

Caroline smiled, relieved, and they drove back to the boarding house.

* * *

"Ok, you were not supposed to bring her back."

Stefan put the maxi-cosi on the ground. Upon seeing Damon, the little girl uttered a few joyous gargling sounds.

"Seriously?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

Damon smirked. "The Salvatore charm knows no limit. What happened?"

Stefan proceeded to explain what they had been told at the police station. Damon agreed that they had made the right decision in keeping the baby with them.

"So, how long is she staying?"

"A few days, maybe less," Caroline answered. "Which means we have to get some necessities like a bed, clothes, diapers, baby products..."

"Ok, bye!"

And on that note, Damon disappeared in a flash.

Caroline let out an incredulous laugh. "Tell me he just not did that!"

* * *

Stefan was pushing a cart that Caroline was filling with more and more stuff, all dedicated to babies. Before coming she had checked the internet to see what an eight or nine month old baby might need – turned out it was _a lot_ of stuff.

While she was picking up some clothes, he was playing with the little girl, making faces and toying with a little stuffed cow they had chosen together upon entering the store. The baby was laughing, waving her arms and legs in the air. When they arrived at the food section Stefan stopped her.

"Forget that crap. Take the baby milk, but for the rest I'll do it myself. Fresh food for you, my lady," he told the baby with the the pompous air of a waiter in a fancy restaurant.

Caroline smiled. "As you wish. It's a good thing we only have two events planned for the following week. That will leave us time to take care of her, and do some research."

She chose a few more stuff before declaring, "I think that's it. Except for a bed. We should find her one of those travel beds, what do you think?"

He nodded, not sure why he suddenly felt disappointed. For some reason he had thought they would share his bed like the night before, and he had actually liked it, and _where the heck did that come from ?_

"Stefan?"

He looked at her, and she was watching him with a little frown mixed with concern. That facial expression was really cute on her.

_Ok, what?_

He cleared his throat. "Sure. Good idea."

She smiled. "Something on your mind?"

He shrugged, keeping his tone casual. "It's just, I didn't think...I mean, it's just a few days so I thought we would keep the same sleeping arrangement as last night."

Caroline felt her hear skip a beat. Wait...he wanted her to share his bed? Ok, with a toddler between them, but still...

"Are you sure?" she asked, doing her best to conceal the hope in her voice.

"Sure. Besides, having two pretty girls in my bed is not exactly a nuisance," he said, his tone detached, but something in his eyes made her blush.

Their gaze held for two heartbeats longer than was prudent then Stefan was distracted by his phone buzzing.

"It's Damon," he said before reading the message out loud. "Don't buy a bed, I found one."

_Damn you, Damon._

A wave of disappointment engulfed Caroline but she hid it skillfully.

"Well, that's what I call perfect timing, and that settles it. Everyone in their own beds tonight."

The baby suddenly made a face and started to moan and Stefan sighed. "Yes, I'm right there with you, sweetheart."


	3. Chapter 3

Back at the house they put all their new belongings in Caroline's room. The little girl had fallen asleep during the ride back home. Caroline put her in the middle of the bed between two big pillows.

Damon arrived. "Come see what I found."

They followed him to his room where stood a beautiful old-fashioned crib. It was made of dark wood, with a swinging bassinet and a veil rendered yellow with time.

"It's great!"Caroline exclaimed, approaching the crib and touching it delicately. "where did you find it?"

"In the attic. I figured there would be at least one or two of those. That one was in the best shape. I cleaned it. It needs new sheets though, obviously."

"Yes, we bought that," Stefan said while admiring the bed. "Nice work, Damon."

Damon shrugged and rolled his eyes when Caroline came and kissed him on the cheek.

"Ok, it's not like I saved a puppy or something," he said, but accepted her display of affection nonetheless. He was not the demonstrative type, but Caroline was, and he had come to appreciate it. Well, he missed it when he was away. And if finding this stupid bed was enough to bring such a smile on her face, then his work was done.

"We have to find her a name," Stefan said suddenly and they all looked at the little girl as if it was going to appear on her forehead by magic.

"I love the name Emma for a girl," Caroline offered, and both guys nodded.

"Works for me. As long as it's not one of those weird names parents give their children nowadays, like Damona or Stefanette."

"Nobody ever called their kids like that," Caroline said.

"What's wrong with Stefanette?" Stefan asked with a fake offended look, and Damon slapped the back of his neck. Stefan replied in kind and soon it was a slap-fest with muffled cries and laughs.

Caroline walked out of the room, sighing. "And here I thought there was only one baby in this house."

* * *

A bit later that evening, Stefan opened his laptop and did some research on different county police sites, looking for missing infants reports. Caroline was sitting beside him and Damon was in front of them, holding baby Emma who was slowly falling asleep again after being fed.

For someone who never seemed to have a particular fondness for kids, he was surprisingly apt and relaxed with the little girl.

"Anything?" Damon asked after a while.

Stefan shook his head. "No. There's a lot of infant kidnapping across the country, it's scary. But since we don't have any info on Emma, I'm not even sure where to start. So far I haven't find any picture matching her."

"Hey, why don't we take a picture of her and put it on one of those sites? Hopefully it will attract someone's attention."

"Great idea, Care," Stefan told her with a warm look and she felt ridiculously happy by that. Then she crossed Damon's gaze and that insufferable smirk on his face and she discreetly mouthed 'shut up'. His smile only grew wider.

One night they had gone out and got drunk together and she had spilled her feelings for Stefan. Damon had urged her to act on it (but he had been drunk too, so he had come up with all sorts of improbable scenarios straight out of cheesy movies) and she had told him about not wanting to endanger her and Stefan's friendship. Surprisingly, he had kept mum about it, settling to send her a few knowing looks here and there.

Stefan shut down his computer and put it on the table. Damon stood up, careful not to wake Emma.

"I'll put this little lady to bed and do the same. See you guys tomorrow."

"Do you need any help?" Caroline asked, standing up too.

"No, I think I'll manage."

Caroline agreed reluctantly, pressing a soft kiss on the baby's head. Damon left and she went back on the couch near Stefan.

She realized then that they were sitting very closely – not that they hadn't been in this situation before, but lately she had been acutely aware of his presence. Every time he was near her she had more and more trouble not touching him.

"Don't get too attached," Stefan told her softly.

She smiled. "I'm trying not to. It's not easy though. Is that why you haven't hold her until now? Because you don't want to get attached?"

He nodded, and turned his green eyes to her. "That's one of the reasons. Also, I'm not used to hold a baby, I'm afraid to hurt her or something."

She was a bit troubled by the intensity of his gaze on her but she managed to reply nonetheless, "I'm sure you won't. And I can't believe you never held a baby once in 165 years!"

"Well I held a few, but then I used to eat them so it didn't matter if I dropped them or not."

He saw the shock in her blue eyes but kept a straight face. It took her a minute to understand that he was messing with her.

"Oh my God! Stefan Salvatore, that's just horrible! Not funny."

He smiled and she couldn't help but laugh, still half-horrified by his joke.

"Where is our next event?" he asked her then.

"Tuesday. Some ceremony at the City Hall. Just a few hours, we'll be back by dinner time."

They talked quietly for a few more minutes before deciding to go to bed. He gallantly walked her to her bedroom door. They both checked on Emma, who was sleeping peacefully, then Stefan walked out but before she closed the door he leaned into her and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Good night, Care."

"Good night," she replied, stunned by this unusual gesture. They hugged sometimes, but they rarely kissed, and certainly not for something as random as saying good night.

So how on earth was she supposed to sleep now?

* * *

All romantic notions about Stefan were quickly forgotten a few hours later as Caroline was dealing with a crying Emma. Loud wails were ripping through the house as she was pacing back and forth in her room, holding the crying infant.

Stefan and Damon appeared almost simultaneously.

"Are you dissecting her alive?" Damon asked while Stefan put his hand on Emma's forehead and checked her mouth.

"It's her teeth."

"How do you know?" Caroline asked, surprised.

"I read some stuff too," he answered with a light smile, and Caroline remembered Elena telling her once that Stefan had wanted to be a doctor when he was human. She had no trouble imagining him as a sexy pediatrician, George Clooney style, even if George was definitely more sexy now.

An ear-splitting scream instantly brought her back to reality and she turned to Stefan with a desperate look.

"What should we do?"

She liked that he seemed to remain calm because she was seriously freaked out by all the crying and the fact that the baby was obviously in pain.

"Damon, there's a plastic ring in a small white box in the kitchen's fridge, can you get it for me?" Stefan asked before disappearing for a minute and coming back with a small tube. Damon arrived right after holding a little transparent plastic ring.

"We have to apply this on her gum," Stefan told Caroline. They put the fussing baby on her bed and Caroline held her gently while Stefan was trying to put the gel in her mouth – not an easy task considering the way she was wiggling. At some point she closed her mouth brutally on Stefan's finger.

"Ouch. She bit me," he smiled.

"Good girl," Damon intervened with a grin while watching from the threshold.

Caroline sent him an irritated look. "You're not helping, Damon."

He walked to the bed. "No, but I'm having fun. It's like watching Teen Mom, only better, and you know, with vampires." He leaned over the little girl. "Well well, you're making a lot of noise for such a tiny thing."

Startled by his sudden appearance over her and the sound of his voice, Emma calmed down and Stefan could finish applying the gel. He then gave her the cold plastic ring and she put it immediately in her mouth, chewing on it.

"The cold ring will help numb the pain while the gel takes effect," Stefan declared.

Looked like the crisis was averted for now. Caroline took the little girl back in her arms and Emma snuggled against her chest.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this, sweetie," Caroline said and kissed her forehead.

"It will probably happen again, so better keep the gel close by," Stefan advised.

Despite his teasing, Damon was obviously impressed by the way Stefan had handled the situation, and patted his shoulder.

"Who died and made you Mc Dreamy?"

* * *

The next afternoon Stefan stopped by the police station but they hadn't found anything yet.

"I'm not even sure they started looking," he told Caroline when he came back at the boarding house.

They both watched as Emma was sitting on a blanket with Damon, playing with colored cubes and stuffed animals. They were really amazed at the oldest Salvatore's patience with the little girl.

"I'm worried that she's going to start missing her mom at some point," Caroline said, her voice tainted with concern.

Stefan put his hand on her back, caressing it softly. She had noticed how he had been rather generous lately with his displays of affection. She didn't exactly know what to make of it, but there definitely was a clear shift in his behavior towards her.

"We have that reception tomorrow afternoon at the City Hall," she said. "I think that we can keep Emma with us in the kitchen, they won't mind. I'll call the secretary and explain the situation.

"Why don't you leave her with me? I have nothing planned for tomorrow," Damon offered, then scowled at Stefan and Caroline's shocked faces. "What? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of her for a few hours."

Caroline smiled. "I don't doubt that. It's just...she doesn't have much conversation. You're sure you want to spend a whole afternoon alone with her?"

"Sure, why not? And for the record, she does have conversation. Tomorrow it's just you and me, sweetie, are you happy about that?" he asked Emma, and the little girl let out a resounding 'ya!' that made Caroline and Stefan laughed.

"Sorry, my mistake," The pretty blonde said and came down on her knees to kiss the little head. "And thank you," she told Damon with a sweet smile.

* * *

_You and me, Caroline, never gonna happen._

Lying in his bed that night, Stefan was thinking about this short conversation with Caroline a few years ago. It had been true back then. It was still true a few weeks ago.

Now he was not so sure anymore.

For some unknown reason he had started to see Caroline in a different light lately. He had always found her beautiful and kind of course, and she was his best friend. And maybe that was it, maybe he had erect some kind of barrier to make sure not to ruin it by mixing friendship and deeper feelings.

But it had obviously sneaked on him surreptitiously. And suddenly there was a powerful attraction, and a constant craving to touch her – one that he had tried to refrain from fear of appearing smothering all of a sudden.

But would she mind, really? He was not blind and there was something in her eyes sometimes that allowed him to hope that any move on his part wouldn't be rejected.

He would ask Damon for advice and wait for the Emma situation to be resolved before talking to Caroline. Considering how fast she had grew attached to the little girl, Emma's departure would doubtless be painful. He already knew she would take it hard, but that was how she was, all sunshine and big heart, and he wouldn't change her for the world.

But the idea of seeing her suffer broke his heart.

* * *

Caroline and Stefan got up early the following morning to prepare everything for the afternoon meeting at the City Hall. Damon was taking care of Emma, and they could hear her laugh during their morning ablutions.

"I never thought Damon would be so comfortable with a baby," Caroline mentioned while putting some plates in the dishwasher.

Stefan smiled. "She's a girl, she adores him, she goes wherever he wants and she never contradicts him. She's the perfect woman," he joked.

"Probably because he's not the one who gets up at night because she's fussy," she added with a smile.

Stefan frowned. "Does she wake up a lot? You should have come and get me to help you."

She shrugged. "No need for everyone to be up. I took her to bed with me and she calmed down and slept the rest of the night. I know it's not the ideal thing to do but she's only with us for a short time so..."

Stefan looked at her fondly. "I understand. And I know it's kind of useless to say it again, but..."

She put her hand on his cheek, smiling. "I know, you're sweet. But it's me, Stefan. There's no way I can't get attached."

He took her hand in his and pressed a kiss on her palm, making her blush.

Damon arrived at that moment, holding Emma. "Ok, we're ready to hit the road," he said and Caroline handed him a bag with some necessities and food that Stefan had prepared for the day.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"There's an animal farm about one hour drive from here, they have some activities for kids, I thought I would check it out. I'll be back in the afternoon, probably before you guys."

Caroline went to Emma and gave her a kiss. The baby girl grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and tried to get into Caroline's arms. She took her and hugged the tiny body, but Emma started to cry when given back to Damon.

"Oh no, don't do this to me," Caroline pleaded. "You go with Damon, you'll have a wonderful time. All the girls do," she added and Stefan laughed as Damon rolled his eyes.

"See you guys tonight," he said before taking the bag and heading out. Emma had already stopped crying, much to Caroline's relief.

"Ok, let's finish cleaning the kitchen then we can load up in the car."

"Yes Boss," Stefan answered and he easily ducked to avoid the kitchen towel thrown at him.


	4. Chapter 4

**I hadn't planned on involving Damon so much at first but I really can't help it and it is kind of turning into a Stefan/Caroline/Damon story ;o) It is still a Steroline romance though, as you will see in this chapter ;o)**

**Thanks for all the follow and alerts, if all these people also let a review it would be awesome ;o)**

**Enjoy !**

* * *

Everything was settled and the meeting had started. Caroline couldn't help it and had called Damon twice already – within a one hour period.

He had been agreeable the first time, telling her how much fun Emma was having, how she liked the horses and so on.

He was a bit less understanding when she called him again 30 minutes later and didn't try to hide his exasperation, telling her that obviously nothing extraordinary had happened since she had called half an hour ago.

She waited another hour then tried to call a third time, and got no answer. But a text arrived a few seconds later.

_Stop calling, Blondie. I CAN HANDLE IT !_

"Ok, no need to be rude," she muttered.

"Who's rude?" Stefan asked upon entering the kitchen with an empty platter. He took a new full one from the fridge.

"Damon. He yelled at me by text."

Stefan looked at her. "How would you know?"

"He wrote in caps lock," she explained, showing him the message and Stefan chuckled.

"What, you called him again?"

"No...ok, maybe just one more time. It's not that I don't trust him, I totally do, I just want to make sure that everything is alright."

"And you let your inner control freak take over," Stefan concluded with a soft smile.

She sighed. "I totally did. Do you think he'll be mad?"

"It's Damon. He can't stay mad at you for more than 5 minutes. But leave him in peace for the rest of the day, ok?"

She nodded, and on an impulse she slid into his arms, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Not that I mind, but what's that for ?"

"Because you're the one who keeps me grounded and sane. Nothing bad can happen if you're around," she told him.

Stefan was a bit stunned by her words. He had no idea she felt that way and that she put so much faith in him. He didn't feel as he deserved it, especially since he had not been there for some of the most dramatics moments in her life, like when her father died, or during the whole Klaus & Tyler debacle.

He should have, though. When she had turned, he had promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Right...worst friend ever.

But here she was in his arms, all trusting and forgiving. Thankfully, he had eternity to make it up to her.

* * *

Damon looked at his phone with a satisfied grin.

"I think Mama Caroline got the message," he told Emma and put the phone back in his jacket.

It worried him a bit, as he could see that she was getting unreasonably attached to the little girl. He couldn't blame her, though. With her blond hair, her blue eyes and her cute little nose Emma was adorable. But he knew that her presence was temporary and he accepted it.

He was afraid Caroline didn't have the same insight. Her heart was too big for her own good. Fortunately for her, she had him and Stefan to protect her no matter what.

As it was already lunch time, he sat with Emma on a bench and was soon surrounded by young moms who obviously wanted to get to know that handsome dad a little bit better. By the time lunch was over, he had a dozen different telephone numbers in case he needed any help – after all, he was a lonesome single dad raising his cute little daughter all on his own.

Well that was what all those women assumed. He just didn't bother correcting them.

He then took Emma to see a little show that was organized with the horses and ponies, which she seemed to enjoy a lot, until he felt a weight on his collarbone. He looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep.

"I guess it's time to go home, then," he whispered, putting a soft kiss on her blond hair.

She slept the entire ride back to Mystic Falls and woke up when he pulled over.

"Welcome back sweetheart. We're going to visit a friend of mine, ok?"

He took her in his arms and walked leisurely through Mystic Falls Cemetery. Emma was still a bit sleepy and her head was resting on his shoulder while he massaged her back. He soon stopped in front of a tombstone.

"Emma, this is Ric. Hey Ric, meet Emma. Want to know what she's doing with me? It's a funny story, really..."

* * *

Stefan put the last of their stuff in the trunk before closing it and turning to Caroline.

"I know you're eager to go home and see Emma, but what about having something to eat first?" he asked with a head motion to the Grill.

Caroline smiled. As much as she wanted to indeed see Emma, she knew that the little girl was in good hands with Damon. So she was certainly not going to turn down the opportunity of a nice dinner with Stefan Salvatore.

They entered the Grill and chose a table. Caroline had been having dinner with him countless time, whether at a restaurant or at home. But the way he was putting his hand on the small of her back while they walked or how he hold her chair while she sat down suddenly gave it another flavor.

Stefan called Damon to let him know they would be a bit later than expected but Damon told them not to worry and to take their time.

"Obviously he is not in a hurry to get rid of her so I guess that means they had a good day," Stefan mentioned with a smile.

"I had never pictured Damon as the daddy type but hey, this is Mystic Falls, stranger things have happened," Caroline said.

"Actually Damon wanted to have kids when we were humans. I was a bit young to consider it myself then, but he had told me once that he wanted at least two. Then Katherine showed up and...we never talked about it afterward anymore."

"Do you wish you could have kids?" she asked softly.

He thought about it for a minute. "I do, yes, with the right person, I would love to have kids. But do I want to inflict this life on them...that's another matter entirely."

"We...I mean you can still give them the choice. It's not ideal, but it's still something I want to consider...someday."

He put his elbows on the table, looking at her with a warm glint in his eyes.

"You'll be an amazing mom, Care."

It was barely 9 pm when they came back at the house and found Damon reading quietly in front of the fireplace.

"Hey! How was the Council party?"

"Like a Council party, super exciting...not. Is Emma sleeping?"

"Mini-Blondie is out like a light," Damon confirmed. "And by the way, walking around with a baby ? Total girl's magnet," he said while pulling out several pieces of papers from his jean pocket. He held a few to Stefan.

"Here, a few phone numbers if you're feeling lonely."

Caroline sent him a glare and Stefan shook his head and chuckled, "Thanks but no thanks."

Damon smirked, putting the papers back in his pocket. "As you wish...more for me!"

Damon left his room. Passing in front of Caroline's he saw that the door was open and she was leaning over the crib, watching the baby.

"Hey. Everything alright?" he asked, whispering.

She nodded with a smile and walked to him. "Are you going downstairs?"

"Yes. I forgot my phone."

"I'll come with you. I need to get something to drink."

She went to the kitchen to prepare a mug of blood and he waited for her in the living room. She came to sit next to him and they shared a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Damon broke it.

"You know you can't keep her, right?"

Caroline stiffened then relaxed and sighed. That was blunt, but she needed to hear it.

"Of course I know. And I know I behave ridiculously considering I didn't know her 5 days ago."

"You're not being ridiculous Blondie. Yes, sometimes you care too much, but that's who you are, and without you Stefan and I would have been long dead by now, like definitely dead. Dead dead. Poof."

Touched by his words, she squeezed his hand. "I feel selfish," she confessed. "I love to have her here, and then I remember that there must be parents out there completely freaked out by her disappearance. And here I am, playing house with you and Stefan, and it's wrong."

He put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You're taking excellent care of her, and I'm sure her parents will be very grateful when we find them."

A tremor touched her lips but her voice remained even when she answered.

"I just talked to Stefan about it tonight. I've never really thought about having kids until now. I was too young, too busy with school, and cheerleading and winning Miss Mystic Falls. And then I turned and it was not really an option anymore, so...I though I was ok with it, but now, I don't know."

"If that's something you really want someday, there are ways."

She shrugged. "I know. Still, I won't do anything unless I find Mr Right first though."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Care. You found him already. He's sleeping peacefully in his room upstairs."

She narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a suspicious look. "You didn't tell him anything, right?"

"Of course not. It's more fun watching you dance around each other. He's totally into you by the way."

A mix of defiance and hope lighted her eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, he refused all the phone numbers I gave him earlier," he said with a smirk.

She scoffed. "That's your evidence? Refusing to call some random women who were interested in you first doesn't mean he is into me."

"Oh, I know my baby bro. I see the way he looks at you. It's fairly recent, but he's a done deal, believe me."

She pouted. "But why doesn't he say anything?"

He sent her a knowing look. "Same reason you don't? I don't know. I'm not in his head. Thank God for that," he added with a lopsided smile.

"This is stupid," she realized. "Once we find Emma's parents, I'll talk to him."

"Good girl," Damon said, patting her knee then standing up. "I don't know about you, but I need my beauty sleep."

She made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Me? Oh no, I don't. I'm beautiful 24/7."

He laughed. "That you are. Hey, by the way, there were fresh flowers on Ric's grave today...that was you?"

She got up. "Yes. I go see him sometimes too."

He kissed her tenderly. "Thanks Blondie. You're the best."

When she walked into her room Caroline found Stefan.

"Is she ok?" she asked, surprised.

The green-eyed vampire smiled. "Yes. I thought I heard her but she's fast asleep. I think Damon wore her out."

Caroline snorted. "Nothing surprising there. We didn't wake you up, did we?"

"No, I just got up. You were downstairs?" he asked, putting his hands on his wait and she couldn't help but stare at his muscular arms.

_Yummy._

"Uh...Yes. Damon and I had a drink. Well I did, he just kept me company."

He walked back to the door and she followed him. He leaned against the door frame, careful to keep his voice low. "Do you want to do something tomorrow with Emma, just the three of us?"

A big smile illuminated her face at his offer. "I would love that. What do you have in mind?"

"We could go to Buckroe Beach. It's only a 90 minutes drive, I'll prepare a picnic. What do you think?"

"I think it's a brilliant idea," she said, whispering despite the fact that she was now really excited by the prospect of spending the day with him and Emma.

"Great. So...I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Good night, Stefan."

But he didn't move, and she raised her face to him with a questioning look. Without warning, his lips descended on hers and their lips met.

Caroline's brain froze for a minute before a few neurones started functioning again.

Holy cow. Stefan Salvatore is _kissing _me.

Then she decided to come out of her frozen stupor and participate. She locked her arms around his neck and started kissing him back. His hands came to rest on her waist and she shivered at the contact. (ok, she was ticklish too.)

When he released her, she grabbed the door frame to steady herself.

"Ok...wow. Where did that come from?"

He brought his hand to her cheek, his green eyes fixated on her, sending her pulse racing.

"I know we have a lot going on right now with Emma, but I've wanted to do this for some time now," he whispered in a husky voice.

"And I've wanted you to do this for even longer," she admitted, her mouth curved in a radiant smile.

He kissed her again, and this time she wasn't surprised and savored it accordingly.

She had always imagined that kissing Stefan would be amazing but actually it was a million time better because it was _really freaking happening._

If she woke up right now she would definitely scream bloody murder.

She pinched her arm discreetly, just in case.

Stefan looked at her, amused. "Did you just pinch yourself?"

She let out a little embarrassed laugh. "Uh, yes. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

"Ah...well maybe this is my dream then."

She squeezed his arm. "Nope, we are still here."

He crossed his arms on his chest and leaned into her, his voice a velvet murmur. "If this was my dream, you'd be wearing a whole lot less clothes anyway."

She melted right there and grabbed his chest for one last kiss.

"We'll talk tomorrow, ok?" he said softly then left to go back to his room.

Caroline put her hand on her mouth, refraining from squeeing like a fangirl. First because there was a baby sleeping in her room. And second because Damon was watching her from his own threshold with a huge grin on his face and his two thumbs up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello Everyone ! Just dropping by to let you know that I'm leaving on holiday next week which means my following update won't be before September 1. To make up for it I made this chapter a bit longer than usual ;o)**

**Thanks for the reviews !**

* * *

They left early the next morning after a quick breakfast. Stefan had got up earlier to prepare a basket to put Emma's bottle and their food. It was barely mid-morning when they arrived at Buckroe Beach and the weather was nice and warm, perfect for a day like this.

There weren't that many people so they easily secured a spot and Stefan placed a parasol for Emma to lie under while Caroline spread out the beach towels. Then she unfasten the baby girl from the maxi-cosi and proceeded to coat her with sun lotion.

Stefan sat down next to them, watching her massaging the little girl's body and talking softly to her. "There you go, sweetheart. You're all protected now. Don't want you to get a nasty sunburn," she said, putting a tiny white hat on her head before showering her face with kisses. Emma giggled and tried to grab Caroline's hair but she pushed it back with a laugh.

Stefan looked at her and smiled, enthralled by her kindness and beauty. He knew it was no use to warn her about caring too much anymore, and it was ok, that was who she was. She loved with all her heart, without reservation or condition. And to know now that he was the recipient of that love, after everything that had happened and he had done, humbled him.

He had thought his heart was immune by now. Judging by the way it was swelling in his chest while watching his blonde companion, he had been dead wrong.

They spent the next hour relaxing and playing with Emma.

"You think she'd like if I took her with me in the sea?" Stefan asked.

"Of course she would. Go ahead, I'll just lay here and watch you."

Stefan took his shirt off and lifted Emma up, securing her in his arms. The sight of the baby girl pressed against his chest made Caroline's heart ache. There was no doubt now in her mind and her heart that she wanted this, and she wanted it with Stefan. Of course in a perfect world Emma would become theirs, but that would never happen so she'd better stop thinking about it and just enjoy the moment.

Stefan walked to the shore and kneeled down in the water, letting Emma get used to the waves coming to lap her feet. She definitely seemed to enjoy herself, taking great pleasure in splashing around with her arms. Stefan sat, holding her against him and sprinkling her delicately, making her squeal.

Caroline watched them with a tender smile on her face, smile that suddenly turned into a scowl.

A young woman clad in a skimpy short and a bikini approached Stefan and engaged him in conversation. At some point she leaned and caressed Emma's cheek and Caroline gritted her teeth, trying very hard to be mature and not go push the girl in the water.

Stefan stood up and apparently mentioned Caroline to the girl with a hand gesture. She didn't know what Stefan told her but she left soon after. Caroline watched her walk away with a satisfied smile.

_Bye bye, lady. Don't come close to my man again or you'll have to deal with me_.

Stefan came trotting back towards her and she welcomed him with a knowing grin.

"If you get any telephone numbers you'll have to share with Damon since he shared with you."

He chuckled, putting Emma on the towel and rubbing her gently with another, to the baby's great delight.

"No phone numbers. I told her I was otherwise engaged," he smiled.

Caroline took a bottle out of the refrigerated box and gave it to him to feed Emma. She also received some fruit puree after that, falling asleep before even finishing it. The young vampire put her back in the maxi-cosi and kissed her tenderly before coming back to lay down on her stomach near Stefan. He was settled on his side, facing her, his head resting on his hand.

She pushed herself up on her elbows and pressed her mouth to his in a loving kiss. His other hand came to rest on her neck, caressing her blonde curls.

"Are you serious about this?" she asked, and the love she read in his green eyes told her everything she needed to know.

He raised an eyebrow. "Can't you tell by my serious vampire look?" he asked and she laughed.

"You're much less serious now. I haven't seen that look on you in quite a while."

His knuckles came to brush her cheek in a tender caress. "Well, in this instance I'm extremely serious. I'm also extremely blind and stupid for not seeing the treasure that was under my nose all this time."

She gave him her trademark bright smile. "Thankfully you have all the time in the world now to appreciate it."

He kissed her tenderly but they limited the display of affection since they were in a public place. Emma woke up a bit after and they played with her for a while before deciding to go back home.

* * *

Since Damon hadn't seen Emma all day, he claimed dibs on being the one to feed and bathe her that evening.

Stefan found Caroline on the couch, reading a magazine.

"Any plans for the next 15 minutes?" he asked her and before she had the time to answer his mouth was on hers and his hands were deliciously roaming all over her body.

Her initial giggle soon turned into a moan because amazingly, he knew already what to do to make her shiver. Their make-out session was in turn passionate and tender, until Stefan interrupted it.

"Damon is coming down," he told her before putting a last loving kiss on her lips. They sat back straight and rearranged their clothes right before Damon appeared.

He was holding his hand in front of Emma's eyes. "Is it safe to enter or are you both naked?" he asked with a teasing smirk before pulling his hand away.

Emma saw Caroline and immediately held her arms to her, babbling, and as Caroline took her, she put her head in the crook of Caroline's neck and her thumb in her mouth. Obviously the young blonde was not the only one getting attached very fast.

"Looks like Mini-Blondie needs some mommy Caroline time," Damon observed before leaning and pressing a kiss on Emma,'s cheek. "Gee, I really need some manly activities right now. Stefan, you're game?"

Stefan hesitated but Caroline smiled at him. "Go on, go have some fun together. We'll have a girls night."

"Yeah, Stefan, don't be so whipped already," Damon teased him.

Stefan snorted. "Look who's talking. I know another pretty blonde that has you wrapped around her tiny baby finger."

Caroline laughed at that and Damon shrugged good-naturally before dragging Stefan after him for some much needed brother bonding time.

* * *

Another two weeks passed, and still nothing new from the police. Stefan and Damon had done some investigation on their own but had found nothing either, despite having put pictures of Emma online.

"I'm starting to think she was abandoned rather than kidnapped," Damon told them one day.

They were gathered around the fireplace that evening, Emma cradled comfortably in Stefan's arms and Caroline snuggled against him. They had made the transition from friends to couple rather flawlessly. They knew each other so well that it just seemed effortless and natural. For now though a few kisses and make-out session were all they had time to do – not that they were in a hurry anyway.

Damon poured himself a drink and came to stand near the hearth, watching the flames with a pensive look.

They were seriously starting to wonder what to do about Emma. What had started as a supposedly short stay was now becoming an extended one, and they had all become incredibly attached to the little girl. Even Stefan and Damon, who had tried to stay detached about it, were now having a hard time imagining life without her.

"Just so you know," Damon suddenly said," I'm not above compelling our way into adoption."

"Woah, hold on a minute," Stefan frowned. "Since when are we talking about adoption? For all we know there are parents out there still wondering what happened to her."

"Don't tell me it hasn't crossed your mind though," Damon told his brother with a knowing look. "I bet Barbie has been thinking about it for some time now."

"Of course I've been thinking about it," Caroline answered candidly. "But there's a difference between thinking and actually considering it. It is a life changing decision, both for her and us."

Damon shrugged. "I think we managed just fine so far."

Stefan sighed. "It's only been a month, Damon, and we never thought it would go beyond that. But..." he added as Damon was going to interrupt him," I agree with you."

That got him a surprised look from his brother and a delighted one from Caroline.

"You do?"

"Yes. Obviously we still have to make sure that she doesn't belong to anyone else, but if that's the case then adoption would be the best way to take care of her and keep her safe."

There was a silence as they all thought about the implications of that huge decision.

"Tell you what," Damon finally said. "I know that judge in Richmond. I'll go and ask what can be done, what kind of papers we should procure, etc. I'll be back in two days and following the information I got and providing that Emma's parents still didn't show up, we'll make a decision."

Both Stefan and Caroline nodded.

"You think we'll need compulsion for this?" Caroline asked and both brother responded simultaneously.

"Hell yes."

"You bet."

"Then why go through all the trouble with documents and stuff? Can't we just compel anyone who would come ask about her?"

Stefan shook his head. "That wouldn't be safe. Some of those people could be on vervain. We need to have all the legal documents signed, then use compulsion to make sure it goes fast and without any question. After that, whatever happens, she will be legally ours," he finished with a tender look towards the little girl.

Caroline smiled. "Ok, that makes sense. I want her to be ours."

"Decision in two days only," Damon reminded her with a smile, knowing full well that Caroline didn't even need to think about it.

And to be completely honest, neither did he.

* * *

Damon left the next morning, and Stefan and Caroline went on with their usual routine as they had a retirement party that afternoon.

Caroline had found out that there was a day-care center in Mystic Falls where you could also drop your baby for one day as long as you called the day before.

When Stefan and her came back to get Emma that evening, she squealed upon seeing them and held her arms to Caroline where she snuggled for a few minute before changing her mind and claiming Stefan's while they walked back to the car. The young blonde was fervently praying that they could find a way to keep her. At this point, having to let her go would be beyond her strength.

Damon called that evening, and asked to talk to Emma, much to Caroline's amusement. He had an early appointment with the judge the next morning and was staying with Liz and her husband.

Caroline held the phone to Emma's ear. "Say hi to Damon."

Emma was very intrigued at first but when she heard Damon's voice she started babbling animatedly. She didn't appreciate when Caroline took the phone away after a few minutes and expressed her annoyance loudly.

"Woah," Damon said upon hearing the ruckus. "What's going on?"

"I took the phone back. She's not happy about it."

"Well she was in the middle of telling me a compelling story and you interrupted. That is kind of rude."

"I'm sure she'll be delighted to pursue this fascinating conversation with you when you come back tomorrow."

"I don't hear her anymore. Is she ok?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. Sometimes he was worse than her. "Yes. Stefan took her and she calmed down. The magic power of those strong Salvatore' arms," she joked.

She hung up a few minutes later and joined Emma and Stefan in the kitchen to prepare dinner.

It was late – past midnight – but Caroline was still awake. Her head was in turmoil and

a lot of questions were plaguing her. Would they be able to keep Emma ? But was keeping her the right decision?

Tired of tossing and turning, she got up. Emma was sleeping soundly, so she took the baby phone with her and headed to Stefan's room.

He was lying in his bed, reading a book, comfortably reclined on his pillows. He raised his head upon seeing her walking in.

"Hey. Everything ok?"

She nodded and unceremoniously climbed on the bed to come sit next to him.

"Yes, I just couldn't sleep, is all."

He smiled, putting his book on the nightstand. "You're overthingking again."

She scoffed. "Me? No. I never do that."

He laughed and extended his left arm. "Come here," and she snuggled against him. He wasn't wearing a shirt and she loved the feeling of her cheek against his smooth chest.

"Are you really ok with all this?" she asked softly.

His fingers brushed her forearm in a light caress. "If we couldn't keep her, we would have to move because I can't imagine living in this house without her now."

She smiled at that, putting a sweet kiss on his shoulder. "I can't believe how much she changed our lives in such a short time."

Stefan shifted slightly, and his upper body was now above hers. He plunged his green eyes into her blue ones. "Stay with me tonight. Please."

She smiled. "Well, when asked so nicely..."

His mouth took hers in a passionate kiss. His hand found the curve of her waist, and she fell willingly into the drowning pleasure created by his touch.

* * *

Damon came back the next afternoon with a file and lots of documents . As he explained to them, it was a long and complicated process, and compulsion would definitely be necessary. The problem was that they weren't sure that Emma's parents were either dead or willing to give her up.

"She's been left on our doorstep, obviously they want to give her up," Caroline said, a bit discouraged.

Stefan put a comforting hand on her back. "That's not enough, unfortunately. But I'm pretty sure now that she wasn't kidnapped. With the pictures we put online and the police doing their own researches, someone would have come forward by now."

"I'll start filling out those papers," Damon told them. "There's also some psychological test we are supposed to take but we'll obviously skip those. The judge gave me the name of an attorney who could finalize everything. It would be a private adoption, so there's also a fee to pay."

Caroline was holding Emma and pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead. "Let's go ahead with this. If at some point there are people who wants her back, we'll deal with it then."

Damon looked at his brother. "So we all agree on this? Emma becomes a Salvatore?"

Caroline laughed. "Why not a Forbes?"

Damon gave her a pointed look. "Well looks like you might become a Salvatore too in a nearby future, so that seems logical."

Caroline blushed but exchanged a loving look with Stefan.

Damon grinned. "You two totally did the nasty while I was away, right?"

This time Caroline became scarlet. "Damon !"

Stefan just chuckled, not really unphased anymore by his brother's weird sense of humor. "Ok, it's time for the future miss Salvatore here to have dinner," he said, taking Emma from Caroline's arms.

"Hey, she's sleeping in my room tonight, by the way," Damon said. "You guys had her for two days, now it's my turn."

"We're going to have to give her her own room, and I have plenty of decoration ideas," Caroline said enthusiastically.

Damon and Stefan exchanged a smirk. "Don't worry, Blondie. Nobody here is going to fight with you over that."

* * *

Stefan and Caroline definitely took advantage of that baby-free night and retired early to Caroline's room.

At 2 in the morning, however, there was a knock on their door.

"Guys? Are you decent?"

Stefan got up and put on his sweatpants before opening the door. Damon was there, holding a sleepy Emma.

"What's going on?"

"She is really warm, and she moans and touch her left ear all the time, like something is bothering her. But I'm really concerned about the fever."

Stefan put his hand on the little girl's forehead which was indeed really hot.

"Did you take her temperature?" Caroline asked, a worried look on her face.

Damon shook his head. "No, the thermometer is in here."

Stefan took it and indeed her temperature was too high, and she was obviously experiencing some pain.

"My poor baby," Caroline said, kissing her.

"Let's get dressed, we'll take her to the hospital."

A few minutes later there were in the car, Stefan driving and Caroline holding the baby, who had started to whimper. Damon was sitting beside her, putting a caressing hand on her head.

The ER was quiet at this time of night so a doctor saw them immediately. Damon stayed behind to fill out some paper – or rather compel the receptionist to think that they were the little girl's parents. He then joined the three others where the doctor had just finished examining her. His heart ached at the vision of the usually lively little girl being all passive on the examination table. Caroline was a mess and Stefan didn't look that much better.

The doctor – a young woman – smiled comfortingly.

"She has an otitis, just a small ear infection, nothing serious. It is common with infants. I'll give you the appropriate medication and she should be ok in a few days."

Caroline seemed to regain some colors while the doctor already administrated some medicine to Emma to relieve the pain and help her sleep. By the time she was back in Caroline's arms, she already seemed better.

They stopped by the reception desk to get the medication before leaving.

"See, this is why she should be legally ours," Stefan said. "This might be the first trip to the ER of many, and it will be much easier if we can prove that she belongs to us. Not to mention that we'll need to get her a pediatrician."

This time it was Damon who drove back to the house. They put Emma back to bed – but not before a round of kisses – and they all went back to sleep for the few remaining hours.

* * *

Stefan was the first up the next morning. He had checked in Damon's room and everybody was sleeping peacefully, even Emma who was normally up at the time, but her illness and the medication had probably wore her out.

He went downstairs and started to prepare some coffee and breakfast. He was sure that Care would love to get some breakfast in bed, and she would definitely reward him for that sweet gesture. The idea made him smile as he prepared two mugs of blood.

There was a knock on the door and he frowned. Who could it be this early?

Opening the door, he saw a young woman, barely out of her teens.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"I sure hope so. I dropped my daughter her one month ago...I want to get her back."

**TBC...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys ! Sorry for the slight delay, work and real life got in the way of me typing this chapter earlier than I hoped. **

**So this is the penultimate chapter, as the next one will be the last ;o) I'll definitely miss writing this fic ! Please read and let me know what you think !**

* * *

The young woman stood in the middle of the living room, seemingly unperturbed by the hostiles glares directed her way.

She was nothing like they imagined Emma's mother would be. Not only was she very young, but she also looked dreadfully unhealthy. Like, drug abuse unhealthy. Her hair was limp, her skin a scary pale white with black lines under her eyes.

She obviously wasn't taking care of herself, so how could she take care of a baby?

"How do we know you are who you claim to be?" Damon asked curtly, with an underlying aggressiveness in his tone.

She opened her bag and took out a few documents. "This is her birth certificate and my ID."

Stefan took it and skimmed through it, noticing that the name of the father was under X. Caroline looked a the young woman, despair crushing her chest.

She had always known that she would have to give Emma back someday, but somehow she had imagined that it would be to a lovely family who would be overjoyed to have her back. She couldn't believe that this ill-looking girl was their Emma's mom.

Except her name wasn't Emma. It was Rachel.

And she was not theirs.

Not anymore.

This was a complete nightmare.

"Seems legitimate," Stefan said reluctantly, giving her the documents back. "Now care to explain why you left your daughter on our doorstep?"

The girl – her name was Lauren – replied, "I had to take care of some stuff. I thought she would be better off here for a few days. It just took longer than I thought."

"What kind of stuff?" Damon asked, his tone implying he knew exactly what it was about.

She shrugged. "None of your business."

Caroline huffed. "Excuse me, but we took care of your daughter for a month, so I guess it is our business to know why you abandoned her like that!"

Lauren rolled her eyes. "I was in trouble, alright? I thought she would be safer here. Things are ok now. I'm sorry if this was such an imposition. She can be a difficult baby."

She was confronted with three shocked glares.

"She's adorable!" Caroline protested. "But obviously you have no idea how to raise a baby. The fact that you left her on some stranger's doorstep is proof enough."

"You don't know anything about me," Lauren answered venomously and Caroline took a step forward with a menacing look.

"I know enough and I won't let you leave with her."

Damon and Stefan exchanged a look and the younger Salvatore put a calming hand on Caroline's shoulder.

"The troubles you mentioned," he asked. "Were they drug related?"

Lauren hesitated then said, "Yes, but I am clean now. Can you bring down Rachel? I have to go."

None of them believed her, unfortunately there was not much they could do.

"We'll get her," Stefan said and he heard Caroline take a sharp intake of breath. He squeezed her shoulder slightly. "But we filed a report to the police when we found her, so I suggest we all go there and do things properly. This way they know the case is closed."

Lauren didn't look thrilled by the idea but agreed nonetheless.

"I'll go," Caroline said in a monotone voice. Damon followed her but not before sending a 'WTF' look to his brother.

In her bedroom, Caroline grabbed Emma – she couldn't think of calling her anything else – and pressed her against her chest. "I'm sorry sweetie, but we have to let you go." Her voice was full of tears and the little girl began to fuss, sensing her distress.

Damon was pacing nervously in the room. "What is Stefan doing? This girl is totally unstable!" He stopped and grabbed Caroline by the shoulders. "Just say the word, Care, and she's history. I'll make it look like a painful accident."

A sobbing laugh escaped from her throat. "Oh my God, Damon, as much as...we can't do that. She's her mom. We have no rights, even if it's tearing me apart."

She kissed the baby's forehead and let her lips lingered on it. "Stefan knows that. You know it. We can't decide to get rid of her because we decide we would be better parents. Would you be able to look Emma in the eyes in ten years or so and tell her that she will never know her mother because we killed her?"

"I supposed not," he mumbled, but not entirely convinced.

Caroline quickly prepared a bag with a few clothes and toys, and Damon grabbed the maxi-cosi. When they came down, Lauren stood up. "Finally. Let's go."

She walked out, leaving the three of them rather shocked.

"She didn't even look at her daughter," Caroline said sadly.

"Come on, Stefan, this is ridiculous. Let's just compel her to leave and be done with it." Damon urged his brother.

"And what will you tell Emma the day she'll ask about her biological mother?" Stefan replied calmly, echoing Caroline's previous words. "That you forced her to abandon her daughter? How do you think that will go down? Let's do this the ethical way. I hate it as much as you do, but we don't really have a choice. Trust me, ok?"

Something in his voice convinced Caroline and Damon to let it go for the moment.

* * *

The police station was busy when they arrived and they waited for a few minutes. Stefan excused himself and disappeared a short moment. He came back just as an officer called them.

They explained the situation and the officer confirmed what they already knew, that Emma belonged with her mother. As Lauren was of legal age, and had no criminal records, there was no reason for them to keep the baby any longer.

Caroline wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. It was so obvious that this girl was not able to properly take care of a baby, but as her mother she had every rights and there was nothing they could do about it.

Just as they were about to leave, the officer hailed Lauren. "I need you to stay in town for at least the next 24 hours. A counselor will also come and see you to ask you a few question."

"That's really not necessary," Lauren said.

"It's the mandatory procedure, miss."

She sighed but thought better than to argue. "Are we done here?" she asked, and without waiting for an answer she grabbed the maxi-cosi and walked out.

"Hey wait!" Caroline yelled, both angry and desperate. "You didn't let us say goodbye."

"Ungrateful bitch," Damon muttered.

Lauren rolled her eyes and put the maxi-cosi on the floor, allowing Caroline to take Emma in her arms one last time. The young vampire didn't want to break down in front of the baby or her unworthy mother. So she just pressed Emma very hard against her. Damon and Stefan dropped a kiss on her forehead, both sporting a dark look.

"Ok, thank you for taking care of her, but I have to go now," Lauren said, taking the baby back rather abruptly. Being suddenly torn from Caroline's arms didn't suit Emma very well and she started to cry, stretching out her little hands to the blonde. Caroline let a sob escape and stumbled slightly, but Stefan's arm around her waist held her steady.

"Wait!" he called after the young mom.

"What now?" she turned around with an exasperated look.

"It's obvious that you don't want her," Stefan told her. "so why did you came back for her?"

She didn't replied, just shrugged, and Stefan sent her a disillusioned look. If she had said 'It's my daughter, I love her' or something in the same vein, he would have let her go. But now he knew exactly what to do.

"Is it money you want? You let us adopt Em...Rachel, we'll give you money to keep her. Is that ok?"

He ignored the shocked faces from both Caroline and Damon, focusing on the lack thereof on Lauren's; confirming what he had suspected all along.

"How much?" she asked.

Having recovered from his initial surprise, Damon smirked. "What do you think your daughter is worth?"

She barely hesitated. "$50,000"

Caroline gasped, and thought she was going to faint when she heard Stefan say, "Done."

Lauren seemed a bit astonished herself at the easiness of it all. "Ok then. But I'll keep her with me tonight. Come by my hotel tomorrow at 10."

"You'll have to sign adoption papers and a document stating that you abandon your parental rights," Stefan said.

"Yeah, ok, whatever. Just be there with the money." She turned around and left.

"What just happened?" Caroline asked, a bit baffled.

"I think Stefan bought a baby," Damon answered with a half-smile.

Stefan sighed. "Since she appeared on our door I've been searching for a hint of maternal instinct in the girl, but she has none whatsoever. I wanted to give her a chance, something that would prove that we were right to give her Emma...but there's nothing there."

"But are you sure it is safe to leave Emma with her tonight?"

Damon sent her a cynical look. "She doesn't see a baby, she sees 50 grand. Believe me, she won't harm her in any way."

"Besides I compelled one of the police officers to stand guard outside her motel room tonight," Stefan revealed. "If anything happens, he'll call me immediately."

Caroline put her arms around him, kissing his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Hey, I wasn't going to let our girl go without at least trying," he said with a smile. "But as I said, let's do this the most ethical and regular way. Tomorrow morning Damon and I will bring her the money, have her signed the adoption papers, and I'll bring Emma back to you," he finished softly, putting a soft kiss on her forehead.

They walked back to the car and Caroline climbed in. Damon put his hand on his brother'shoulder.

"I'll probably swing by that motel for a few hours. I'll feel better," he admitted, and Stefan nodded.

"Sure. I would have done it myself, but I don't want to let Care alone."

* * *

Later that evening, Stefan found Caroline in front of the drawer chest in her bedroom, folding some little dresses and shirts.

"We'll have to buy her new clothes. She'll outgrow those soon," she said with a little laugh that was still tainted with worry.

Stefan put his arms around her waist and his chin on her shoulder and she sighed, leaning against him.

"It's so empty without her. How did we let her claim our hearts so fast?" she wondered and Stefan smiled.

"She kind of sneak up on us. Even I didn't see it coming."

She turned around and his hands came forward to hold her cheeks, his thumb brushing her lips.

"I'll only be reassured when she's back with us for good. Then we'll be the best, coolest parents ever."

"Until we have to explain to her why we don't grow old," Stefan said with a smile.

Caroline waved her hand dismissively. "I'm not really concerned about that now. Between the three of us, things should go smoothly."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "The three of us?"

She gave him a knowing look. "You're aware that Damon will want to be involved as much as us, right? He will consider her as his daughter as much as you will."

Stefan smiled, apparently not surprised by her statement. "And you don't mind?"

"Me? To know that my daughter will have not one, but two loving, overprotecting dads who will spoil her rotten? No, I don't mind. The question is, do you?"

He shook his head. "No. I kind of saw it coming. I know it's a bit unconventional, but I saw him with her, and I think his presence in her life is essential. And she's good for him too. So yes, between the three of us, we should be able to do a decent job," he finished with a loving look.

She raised her chin to meet his kiss, their lips brushing tentatively until the gentle caress sent shockwaves through her from core to limb. Stefan cupped the back of her head, holding their mouth together for the deepest, most perfect kiss she had ever known. She sighed as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and squeezed, almost taking her breath away.

"I love you," he murmured, and she fought to breathe, grinning widely under his lips.

"I love you too."

* * *

Damon had come back a bit after dawn, so at 9.30 am he and Stefan were ready to go. They had an event planned for the next day, so Caroline would already start on the preparations to keep her mind busy.

When they arrived at the motel, Stefan compelled the police officer to leave. They walked to her room and knocked.

There was no answer.

"I'm sure she's in there," Damon said. "I made sure there was no back exit."

With a slight pressure of his shoulder, Stefan forced the door open.

The first thing they noticed was the playpen where Emma, wearing only a diaper and a shirt, was sitting, her little body shaken by sobbing hiccups and her face covered in dry tears. Damon immediately ran to her and picked her up.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's ok, we are here, shhh," he pressed her against him with a caressing hand on her back. "She's freezing," he said accusingly while the baby girl grabbed his shirt and nudged her head into his shoulder. She was very tensed and Damon sent a murderous look to the body sprawled on the bed.

Stefan shook her but she didn't react.

"Is she dead?" Damon asked, his tone implying he couldn't care less.

"No. Just drunk," Stefan said, looking around the messy room and the trembling body in Damon's arms. "Well, if I had any second thoughts about this, they are sure gone," he muttered.

"I though she was clean?" Damon said with a pointed look, showing his brother a small package on the dresser containing a white powder.

Stefan's jaw clenched and he lifted Lauren's body.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm putting her under a cold shower. I want her as clear-headed as possible when she signs the documents." There was a cold rage in his voice.

While Stefan took her in the bathroom, Damon located the bag prepared by Caroline the day before and went fishing for some clothes. He tried to put Emma on the bed to dress her, but she protested,grabbing his shirt with all her strength. Her desperate whimper broke his heart.

"Don't worry, honey, I won't let you go," he whispered in a soothing voice, caressing her back in a circular motion. "From now on, you'll stay with us. For ever. And you don't know it yet, but I mean that in a literal way."

He pressed a tender kiss on her forehead, relieved to see she was calming down a bit. He let go of the idea of dressing her and just grabbed a small blanket from the bag.

Stefan was back with Lauren who was now awake but in a very bad shape, probably nursing a hell of a hangover.

"I guess you forgot about our little appointment," Damon told her disdainfully.

"She wouldn't stop crying," Lauren complained with a vicious glare towards her daughter. "Do you have the money?"

Damon shook his head incredulously at her coldness.

"You'll get it as soon as you sign this," Stefan said, giving her the document and a pen.

She signed without even reading it. "There ya go."

Stefan took an envelope from his jacket and threw it on the bed beside her.

"I strongly suggest that you don't come back in a few months asking for more."

She let out an embittered laugh. "Are you kidding me? I can't wait to get rid of that little piece of shit. She's been nothing but a burden. She ruined my life."

Damon, who was watching Stefan, saw the exact moment when his brother snapped. For a second he feared for the girl's life. But Stefan just bent and looked her in the eyes.

"You will leave this town and never come back. You'll forget you ever had a child. And you'll use that money to go into rehab."

"Woah. What happened to 'let's do this the ethical way?'" Damon asked, a bit in awe at his baby bro's action.

"She pissed me off. Nobody talks about my daughter that way."

Damon smiled as Stefan took back the papers as well as Emma's birth certificate. "I really don't want to risk her waltzing back in Emma's life someday," he told his older brother, and Damon could see that he was upset about having had to do this.

"It's ok Stef. You did the right thing."

Stefan put his hand on Emma's head, caressing her blonde hair before pressing a kiss on her cheek, eliciting a quiet giggle from the baby.

He smiled. "Yeah. I guess I did."


	7. Chapter 7 - Epilogue

**So, the good news is, I'm not dead, but I know I've been an epic failure concerning this update. I've had big stuff happening in my life work related for the last two months, and for a few weeks I really wasn't in the mood to write anything, or even inspired to do so. Things are much better now so I finally took the time to finish this and bring you a proper ending (even if I'm convinced it could have been better.)**

**Anyway I want to thank everyone for their continuous support, especially some of you who sent me PM's regularly, that was really appreciated ;o)**

**So here comes the epilogue, please let me know if you enjoyed it ! ;o)**

* * *

The drive home was silent. Damon was driving and Stefan was holding Emma. She had categorically refused to be put in the maxi-cosi, only agreeing to be transferred from Damon's arms to Stefan's.

She was quiet now and her head was resting on Stefan's shoulder, her gaze fixed on Damon, who kept sending reassuring smiles her way.

When they opened the door Caroline was already in the hallway. Stefan smiled, suspecting she had probably been there the entire time, pacing nervously.

"Thank God!" she exclaimed upon seeing them arrive. Emma tore herself abruptly from Stefan's arms to jump into Caroline's waiting ones. She pressed the baby girl tightly against her, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Mama," Emma said suddenly, and Caroline kissed her on the cheek. "Yes, sweetheart, I'm here, and I'm not letting you go. I promise."

She gave the two brothers a teary smile. "Thank you," she said, and Damon shrugged good naturally.

"Hey, Stefan did all the work. I was just along for the ride. Come on," he told Emma, holding his arms to her and she slid easily back into it, giggling. Thankfully, her misadventure seemed to be forgotten now that she was surrounded by familiar faces. "Let's get you cleaned up," Damon added and took the bag, heading out for the stairs.

Caroline sighed as Stefan wrapped his arms tightly around her and squeezed, almost taking her breath away, and he pressed his face in into her throat. She put her hand on his cheek, sensing something was off.

"What happened?" she asked him softly.

He pulled back and looked at her, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, really...She was being difficult and she got on my nerves...I compelled her to forget about Emma and never come back."

She shot him a surprised look, and he was relieved to see there was no condemnation in her eyes. "Wow, that's something I would have expected from Damon, but I guess that if you did it, you had a good reason."

"Maybe, I just...ok, what's done is done, and Emma is back with us, it's all that matters, right?"

She smiled at him, knowing he was trying to convince himself more than her. She knew him, it would take some time for him to get past what he had done.

She pressed her lips to his in a lingering kiss then took his hand, their palms sliding together as their fingers linked and she led him back in the den.

* * *

Later that evening, after putting Emma to bed, they all sat in the den and finalized the adoption files that Damon would bring to the judge the next morning.

Caroline noticed he had been fiddling with his pen for a while, a pensive look on his face.

"What's going on, Damon?"

"Well, I've been thinking about this for a while, and..." He took a deep breath. "I don't want to be her 'cool uncle Damon'. I want to be her dad too."

Stefan and Caroline exchanged a smile, and the younger Salvatore said," That's obviously a bit unconventional, but we are not exactly conventional people either, so...why not?"

A look of pleased surprise appeared on Damon's face. He had expected Stefan to be much more reluctant about this.

Stefan laughed at his brother's obvious shock. "Caroline and I had already talked about it. The three of us are together in this, Damon. We want you involved as much as us."

Damon nodded, feeling a bit emotional but quickly covering it. "Alright then," he just said, writing down his name besides Stefan's on the document. He couldn't help but let escape a happy grin though when all was settled.

"Ok, so now I think we should establish some rules. First, no dating until she's at least 30..."

* * *

_Atlanta, 16 years later._

Caroline knocked softly on her daughter's bedroom door.

"Emma, sweetheart, Justin has arrived."

The blonde teenager turned around. "Ok, I'm almost ready. Where is he?"

"He's downstairs," Caroline replied, admiring how the blue dress brought out the azure of her eyes.

Emma, who was putting on a necklace, suddenly stopped. "You mean he's downstairs with my dads, _alone_?"

Caroline made a contrite face. "Uh...Oops?"

"Mom!" Emma exclaimed with a horrified look on her face, "They are going to eat him alive!"

Caroline smiled. "No they won't. I'll go back and take care of it. But you'd better hurry."

"You bet I will!"

With a slight laugh, Caroline headed back in the den, where she found the poor Justin very much alive, although his face was now a peculiar shade of green. She turned to Stefan and Damon, who both sported very satisfied smirks, and glared at them.

"Leave him alone," she mouthed, and their grins turned into fake innocents look with such perfect synchronicity that she had to smile.

"So, Justin," she turned to the young man, who seemed relieved to be dealing with her and not with _them._ "Emma told me you're driving a Chevy Impala. I would love to see it."

Justin regained some natural colors and even managed to smile back. No guy, no matter what their age, could resist the famous Caroline Salvatore (previously Forbes) bright smile.

"Of course mrs Salvatore. Come with me."

They were barely out that Emma appeared and walked towards her fathers, who were both standing near the fireplace. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, looking from one to the other.

"Ok, what did you told him, and why did he look like he was about to vomit?"

Damon and Stefan looked at each other and Stefan shrugged. "No idea."

"Maybe he ate something that didn't agree with him?" Damon offered.

She raised an eyebrow and put on what she hoped was her best threatening look. Being raised by 3 vampires had taught her a thing or two in that department.

Her dads just smiled, so she knew she still wasn't convincing enough.

"We just asked him not to drink, you know, the usual stuff," Damon said.

"And to keep his hands to himself," Stefan added in a casual tone.

She sighed. "It's not even a date. We're just going together at the school Spring Ball. You really have nothing to worry about."

"Oh, we're not worried. We trust you. But better safe than sorry, right?" Damon smiled tenderly at his daughter, and she smiled back before looking at them with a suspicious look.

"You didn't compel him or anything, right?"

"Come on, honey, we would never do that," Stefan said with a slight reproachful glance.

"Yes, I know, sorry. But you can trust him. He's a good guy."

Stefan and Damon exchanged an amused glance, the 'she's so naive, how cute' kind and Stefan put a caressing hand on his daughter's hair.

"I'm sure he is, sweetheart. But understand this. No man will ever be good enough for you."

"Not one," Damon added emphatically.

"Not ever," Stefan finished for good measure, and Emma rolled her eyes and laughed, even though she knew that her future dating life was definitely going to be a challenge with her two overprotective dads. But they were so adorable and she loved them so much that she didn't mind...yet.

Besides, she knew her mom would be there to help when needed.

"You look beautiful, by the way" Damon told her and Stefan agreed. Funnily enough, she was actually looking a lot like Caroline, with her infectious smile, sunny disposition and golden hair.

Therefore, unsurprisingly, she had both her dads wrapped around her little finger.

Caroline and Justin came back and Emma took her purse.

"Don't forget," Damon reminded them, "back by midnight."

"Oh come on, daddy, it's over at midnight, we can't miss the end, right? 12.30 ? Please?"

She made that little pout with her mouth and her puppy eyes, and Damon realized that he had been the one to teach her that, many years ago. Damn.

"Not fair, Mini-Blondie," he muttered. "Ok, fine by me, but double check with dad."

Emma turned to Stefan who gave his consent, adding nonetheless, "Not one minute after."

She kissed them and went on her way, followed by Justin and Caroline who saw them out.

When Emma had turned 8 they had decided to leave Mystic Falls, where people were starting to wonder why, as the little girl was growing up, her parents seemed to remain blissfully young. Also, their living arrangements were starting to raise a few eyebrows. Not that any of them really cared about what people thought, but for the sake of Emma they had chosen to relocate in the anonymity of a big city.

Caroline came back and found them comfortably installed on the couch. She smiled.

"You two are not going to wait here until she comes back right?"

Damon raised his head and looked at Stefan. "We're not?"

Stefan shook his head, smiling back.

Caroline sat between the two of them. She put her head on Stefan'shoulder and slipped her left arm under his, while taking Damon's hand with her right one.

"She's growing up. Get over it."

Stefan kissed her softly on the head and she added, "We did a great job, guys. Our baby girl is awesome."

"Our baby girl is at a party with some dude," Damon huffed. "Didn't I say something back then about her not dating before she's 30?"

Caroline sent him a mocking glance. "Yeah, I remember all those very realistic suggestions you made. I thought you were joking."

"Not exactly," he muttered.

"So, what do you guys want to do tonight ?"

"What about a movie night?" Stefan suggested. "We haven't had one in a long time, plus it's the perfect excuse to stay up late an make sure that, uh...everyone will be safe and sound in their bed after 12.30 ?"

Damon grinned. "I thought we weren't supposed to wait for her?"

Stefan gave him and Caroline his best innocent look. "We're not. We're just having a movie night."

"I like how you think, brother," and Caroline rolled her eyes and got up.

"You are terrible. But ok for movies. And I get to choose them," she added, attracting some groans from the Salvatores.

Once she was gone, Stefan turned to Damon. "She's right, you know. We'll have to let go at some point. We don't want to be one of those overbearing and smothering dads."

Damon sighed. "I know. But we don't have to do that right away. It can wait for tomorrow?"

Stefan shrugged. "Or next week."

"Yeah, or even next year."

They exchanged a knowing smile.

FIN


End file.
